Dangers- Five O’Clock Shadows

As continuation of a previous post, here is the complete album review of Dangers’ Five O’Clock Shadows at the Edge of the Western World (referred to as Five O’Clock from now on).

If you want to find an instrumentally and lyrically talented punk/hardcore/scream/whatever-you-want-to-call-it band then you will definitely want to check out this Los Angeles based group of angry people.

Since their Anger release in 2006 to their current release of Five O’Clock this year, Dangers has kept their music as original, angry, and exciting. Going through Five O’Clock you will be left bobbing your head through killer blast beats, running around your room with circle pit riffs/drumming, but suddenly be hit with a slow melodic guitar instrumental (Santa Anas).

The song that hits more to home from the album has got to be Midnight Traffic. The slow instrumental pace of the song, whether it was on purpose or not, go hand in hand with the story being told by lead vocalist Al of being stuck in traffic. However, if you have ever listened to any other songs by the band, you know that Al is a big fan of metaphors and symbols. In the song he speaks of a route that most go through of being stuck in a place even though your desire is to be somewhere else. The emergency lights show the need for help that one has yet being stuck heading back to the place that has caused the damage. They speak of the obstacles to be in a better place, but stopping at nothing until completely getting away. The melody and strong lyrics of this song remind me of the style and anger that was brought by My Wonder Years Never Got Cancelled in their first album and it is equally as great.

The overall album is amazing. Dangers does not seize to bring originality via lyrics and instruments to the punk scene and this album is a great way to prove that. The band is heading for a tour in mid January so if you have a chance, I would highly recommend skateboarding/having your parents drop you and your friends off in an astro van/hitching a ride to one of the shows. Definite must see.